Second arrest made in downtown burglaries; third suspect sought

By Teddy Kulmala

Police have arrested a second person in connection with a rash of burglaries in the downtown Aiken area earlier this week.

Demarques Tremall Jamison, 20, of Aiken, turned himself in to officers and was placed in the Aiken County detention center. He was charged with criminal conspiracy and accessory after the fact.

Officers are looking for a third man they said was involved with the burglaries.

Willie Maurice Franklin, 23, of Aiken, is being sought for criminal conspiracy, according to a statement from the Aiken Department of Public Safety. He is known to frequent the Lancaster Street and Hahn Village areas in Aiken.

On Tuesday, Aiken Public Safety officers responded to a burglar alarm on the 300 block of Newberry Street at about 3:30 a.m., police said. Officers arriving on the scene saw a man fleeing the area on foot.

A perimeter was set up in the area, and officers discovered that other homes nearby had been broken into. It was also discovered that a handgun had been taken from one of the homes.

Investigators confirmed the suspect had burglarized four homes and about 12 vehicles, police said. All of the homes were occupied by residents sleeping in other areas of the home.

At each location, the suspect reportedly entered the home through an unlocked or unsecured door.

A resident called 911 a short time later and said a subject was inside their home on the 200 block of Lancaster Street. The caller said the subject fled on foot.

An additional search perimeter was set up, and the Aiken County Bloodhound Tracking Team and a helicopter from the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division were brought in to assist in the search. The initial search was later called off, but officers continued extra patrols in the Highland Park, Kalmia Hills and downtown areas.

Around 6 p.m. Wednesday, officers arrested 22-year-old Tremayne Deshawn Crawford after he was found hiding in the attic of a home on Abbeville Avenue. He’s been charged with first-degree burglary and also had outstanding warrants for the Aiken County Sheriff’s Office.

Anyone with any further information about this incident or the whereabouts of Willie Franklin is asked to contact Crimestoppers of the Midlands at 888-CRIME-SC. Callers will remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000.

Teddy Kulmala covers the crime beat for the Aiken Standard. He is a graduate of Clemson University and hails from Williston.

Related Stories

Comments

Notice about comments:

Aiken Standard is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point.

We do not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click the X that appears in the upper right corner when you hover over a comment. This will send the comment to Facebook for review. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full terms and conditions.